DC is trying to sit, and we still don't have a highchair.....
I would love to hear your opinions, experiences and advice regarding buying a highchair.
We don't have a table in the kitchen, we'll have it in the dining area on hardwood floor...
I love the idea of having DC at our table with her own chair "part of the action", but I don't know if this is impractical?

I think I really like the Stokke or the Keekaroo, but how are they different exactly?
I heard of safety concerns with the Stokke, does anyone know any updates?
Which additional items does one really need to purchase for either one of these?
I understand they both come without a tray. That wooden platform seems like a 5-6 mo old could not sit on yet.... do both have an 'infant insert' and it this hard plastic?

HI there OP! I wavered between the Stokke and the Keekaroo and some other wooden high chairs. I ended up buying the Keekaroo in Natural and I LOVE IT!!! we bought one for my mother we loved it so much. So DS has a highchair at my mom's house too. I bought it b/c the reviews on amazon were better than the Stokke. It did not have safety issues like the Stokke either.

I love it -- it's easy to clean, it's smallish, looks nice, comfortable for baby (i think), light and easy to move and I also use it on all hardwood floors. it has plastic "feet" so there is no scrapping.

I love that the tray comes all the way off if you need it to. It's easy to get baby in and out. I started using it when DS was about 6 months and now he is 9 months. We never used that plastic "infant insert". Instead, I put blankets around DS to support him. he was sitting up at that point, but was a bit wobbly. The tray is also BPA free, it's NOT made in China and it has low VOC emissions. And it's reasonably priced on Amazon.

When I ordered it on Amazon it came with the tray and the plastic cover. That is all I got, I did not buy any of the extras and I have been fine. it also comes with a padded seat that is NOT treated with any chemicals.

PP here -- Our DS loves being "part of the action" as you stated earlier in his highchair. He LOVES it and since we don't have an exersaucer or a playpen, we put DS in his highchair if we need to put him some place safe.

We considered the Stokke and ended up buying the Svan. LIke the Stokke it is cool-looking and compact and can be adjusted for older children. The difference is that the Svan comes with a tray so the child does not always have to sit at the table, although they can. I would have hated to not have the tray--my DS takes FOREVER to eat, and I hate to leave him alone at the table, so I will often pull the highchair into the center of the kitchen so I can do dishes, cook, or whatever, and he can still be eating. (We do eat dinner as a family, but not always breakfast and lunch.) I was also concerned about the Stokke tipping over. I know nothing about the Keekaroo so I can't speak to that.

Another thing to consider: my mom bought a Fisher Price high chair for her house, at a cost of approximately 1/4 of what we paid for the Svan. It is big and plastic and a total eyesore, and I don't wish I had it. BUT it has a lot of features that are really convenient: it's on wheels, the seat is cushy and adjustable, it folds up, and most importantly the tray is HUGE and easy to get on and off with one hand. So if you have the space and don't care about aesthetics, you can save a bunch of $$ by just buying a traditional high chair.

14:57 here. I wanted to add that even with the Fisher Price highchair you can pop off the tray and have the kid sit directly at the table. We have done this manytimes. It's odd to me that Stokke touts this as their big selling point when it doesn't seem to be that unique of a feature.

We have a Stokke and absolutely love it! DD is now three, and she first started using it with the infant insert when she was 6 months, and we've just adjusted it as she grew. We really like having her sit at the table to eat with us. We have a small table and eating area in the kitchen, and had no room for a big or separate high chair. The Stokke blends nicely with the color of our table and chairs, and looks great like its really part of the set. We also have hardwood floors, and the Stokke has been easy to push back and forth from the table. No tipping or other safety issues at all. We bought the Stokke plastic tray that can be suction cupped on our table to protect it. We can wipe it down there if it needs light cleaning, or if there are bigger messes it easily comes off the suction cups and we can do a real washing of the tray at the sink. So the finish on our nice wood table still looks great, even with all the messes a toddler makes. It's been worth every penny in my opinion. I don't know anything about the Keekaroo so can't comment on whether it would be better or worse than the Stokke.

Second vote for the Svan - we loved ours! It looked great but was also practical and easy to clean/use. But when my kids got bigger I swapped them to a cheap Fisher Price Healthy Care booster seat. Easy to clean, attach to any chair, great for travel, etc.

Still love the Keekaroo after 3 years. The infant/younger child seat attaches with Velcro and comes in different colors. The seat is cushy like a Bumbo. We bought the wooden tray and used it until DS was ready to sit at the table.

When DS was really little, we also used a Bumbo with a tray to feed him on the kitchen floor.

Check this out, it's called Handysitt. We don't have much space and I hate plastic crap. This is a little seat that fits on a chair and fulfills the purpose of a highchair. No regrets. We can even take it with us! My son is 3 and he can still fit it.